Hello All,

[Ironramrod]

If your Missouri cast bullets don't perform for you at their current hardness, you might try annealing them to significantly lower the BHN of them. I do this on both WW and range scrap bullets, and it turns them into real shooters for use in black powder cartridge loads.

Regards
IR

[Kurt]

I would be more concerned with the Hi-Tek 2-Extreme Coating from J&M Specialized Products P/L then the hardness. Some of that crap is very hard to get cleaned out of the bore once it gets ironed into the pores.

[laowho]

Yes Kurt, I was worried about that too. Know next to nuthin about these. I am gonna burnish the barrel first before any firing, but still don't want unknown junk goin thru it. Which is why I wanna just melt these down separately to clean them up. Will check the ingot afterward for hardness, which may go to yer point Iron...figure these may be some variant of Lyman #2 alloy and water cooled to get from 15 to 18 BHN but dunno, and even annealing will only soften for what? Two weeks before they harden up again? And also dunno what that coating will do. Think it's best I just make a clean ingot then use for some provisional hardening later.

Don, if we're talkin the original Postell, isn't that what I'm getting w/ Walt's NEI Ideal Replica? And in which case isn't the BACO C'moor redundant? Unless...I can save $$ w/ the BACO C'moor mould for which I now already have the handles. Interesting. Know I'm putting too fine a point on all this if I insist on payin 3x more for the NEI Ideal Postell (gotta include handle cost here, total $210) than for the nearly identical BACO C'moor and for quality differences that I probly won't even to appreciate for years as I figure the other dynamics out. I think my wife just thanked ye...

edit...well I'm back to square one. Was confusing the BACO Lyman mould/handle with the BACO mould/...handle? First, the BACO mould is just as much as the NEI, and second...where's the handle? Is it the universal they sell? Curioser and curioser. Moreover, these are a def .459, and I've been shoppin everything in .458 where I could get it cuzza what you said elsewhere about Shiloh bein tite. Yeah, the NEI isn't guaranteed .458, but w/ alloy temp controls I mite have a chance...But w/ this Buffalo mould I can't get under .459 no matter what, and while that mite still be w/i tolerance, anything over needs sizin. Bottom line for me is the NEI Walt design sounds the better option, specially since the $$ is the same. Only real option left seems the Lyman 132 for $80, or the jump to the NEI Walt design/original Postell and hope I learn to appreciate the difference. See the BA C'moor has the reduced front driving band, dunno if the NEI does, or how much difference the added powder makes.

[Don McDowell]

The BACO moulds use either their locking handles, or Saeco, and you an drill out the hole on Lee 6 cavity handles and get along just fine.
As to the diameter you could call and ask for a .458 diameter.
Really to keep things simple and get started the Lyman postel is a good place to start as is the RCBS 82084 mould. I've seen an awful lot of nonsense on the internet about the Lyman postel,, but I was also spotting for the fella that word the NRA midrange ptr title at the 2014 nationals... his bullet.... the Lyman postel cast from 20-1..

[Kurt]

Doug.

If your just getting into shooting these black powder loads I would suggest you start with the basics first.
You don't want to pile a bunch of money into equipment right off the bat unless you have an unlimited bank roll. Building a load of moulds might come later on. I think all of us that shoot these old vintage stile of rifles will sooner or later join the mould club of the month. I know I have a big drawer full of them.
As far as the Postell moulds now made are not near in profile that the original Ideal bullet was. NEI is the closest. The Lyman postell is good if you happen to get a mould from them that will drop a round bullet. Even if it's .002" out of round it still shoots very good.
Steve's postells are not of the original design, either one of them.
As far as the Creedmoor bullet, It is a good bullet but with that longer bore riding nose if your alloy or lube is not up to par it will have a tendency to leave more lead behind and if you don't keep up with it your accuracy will drop.
Start with the basics. Get a good set of dies, a compression stem or a universal die set. and get a 1000 wads from BA or Walters in .030 or .060" thickness and start loading and shooting.
With the Creedmoor or Postell bullet 1/20 to 1/30 Tin/Lead is a good place to start.
Order some 1.5 or 2F powder and see what works best for you.
The best way for you to find what you need is start with the basics and add on later on if you feel you need them.
A good quality mould is a good place to start.

Kurt

[laowho]

Thanks Guys,

Then I'm gonna get the 132. I'll have this, the Saeco 645 and the 125 to start for comparo (and assumin the 124 is a wash as you say Don, but it gave me the handles for same $). Got the rest, except maybe for a cast iron pot for makin my alloy muffins. No bankroll here--just a very supportive wife. Maybe in a year or 5 I'll need the fancier moulds, and maybe not. Much thanks to everyone here. Really really appreciate the collective wisdom here. Doug

[Mike]

Doug, Those 124 bullets might do better than some have said, especially at the shorter ranges. Enjoy them and judge for yourself. They work alright for me. And, have you gotten your rifle yet? If you've commented on the gun, I haven't see it. Shoot sharp, Mike

[laowho]

Hi Mike, Rifle came in yesterday, and tomorrow I get printed toward the FID. Guessin it's another week or two b4 the FID completes, then we go pick them up. By then I mite even manage to learn how to post pics here. Been loadin 4 the Winchester for my wife and son, and will begin loadin for the Sharps when the pre-cast come in. Have an email request for them in to Montana Bullet works. I'll still cast the 124s, specially since I have the mould, and ya never know, rite? The rifle will tell me what it likes and figure that if nuthin else it'll be another challenge. Thanks again for gettin the ball rollin. Feel like I'm well prepared now to receive the rifle, and a lil less nervous about firing it.

p.s. Just got an email confirming I am now officially a member over at the Shiloh site and can bug those guys too.

[laowho]

Update

Hiya Mike, Everyone,

Just sayin that I've made some contacts over @ the Shiloh forum and seems my options here in NJ aren't as limited as I'd feared. Also relented and got the bullet sizing die--in .458--from Track of the Wolf just in case the Lyman moulds need some tweakin, and cuz my casting skills will probly need a lotta tweaking too. Also found the right combo BHN and dia. options over at Chey Bullets so picked up some RN and Postell (515 and 530 gr) in 20:1 to start my hand loading with. Will post pics of the rifle as soon as we pick her up. Just got finger printed yesterday toward my FID and dunno how much longer this NJ process is. Cheers, Doug